Those of us who follow these things already knew that of course, but now we have the proof!An insider tips me to the following:
I read your post concerning safety at the company. One thing that you
may have not known, but the company has now embarked on hiring about 100
newbs in a 12 month period and reduced the requirement of 9 weeks
training to just 6. That means that the safety issues will be a major
problem in the future

JC Vannatta at his Finest | Portland Transit Lane
it is my opinion based on my research that recording audio is permissible on transit because there is NO EXPECTATION OF PRIVACY on the public transit system. Furthermore rulings involving police have clearly shown the JC Venatta's interpretation of the audio laws is just plain wrong.

She said a blond woman sitting on a bench applauded her
for standing up for free speech. Nearby, a man appeared to be filming her exchange with
the inspector, prompting Boltjes to tell him he couldn't do that, Bricker
testified. TriMet code does not prohibit riders from filming or taking photos at
stations or on vehicles.
Visibly enraged, Bricker said the inspector prevented her
from getting on the next two trains before kicking her off the transit system
for a month. She had no prior record of problems on TriMet.
"It was the content of my speech that was objectionable,"
Bricker testified, "not the volume."

One thing I love about Lane is his ability to stand up for himself in the face of authority. Not an easy thing to do.
They keep saying to him 'NOT ON TRIMET PROPERTY'.

And herein is the whole mess in four words. Who the fuck owns Trimet? Not one of the people that work there. Every single person who works at Trimet is getting paid via the tax payers, EVERY SINGLE ONE!

As you can see from the Trimet chart there are more accidents now than a year ago. The pattern if fairly consistent. HARRY SAPPORTA/ALLAN MORGAN (director of training) the statistics are showing you as a failure and Neil Mcfarlane as the top man is also failing

4. The four MAX lines averaged a total of 121,700 weekday, 93,500 Saturday, and 68,100 Sundayboardings in September. Weekday ridership was down on each of the four MAX lines,averaging 62,700 on the Blue line, 22,500 on the Red line, 15,200 on the Yellow line, and 21,300on the Green line. Total MAX ridership fell 6.6% during the peaks and 9.1% in off-peakperiods, resulting in an 8.4% drop in weekday ridership. Total weekend ridership was also down(-4.8% Saturday, -8.3% Sunday), leading to a 7.9% decline in weekly MAX rides in September.MAX rides had been down slightly in recent months due to increased fare enforcement, and partof September’s MAX ridership loss is probably still related to this factor. However, most of theMAX ridership decline was in the former Rail Free Zone area.

Trimet has been operating separate and unequal transit systems. One for the 'choice' riders with the accoutrements of its light rail /wes services. And another system for its primarily impoverished citizens who wouldn't be able to get around without the bus service.

I think OPAL should look very closely into using courts against Trimet since using reason with TRIMET is a fruitless occupation.

And somebody got pissed off. Of course many riders don't realize that many Trimet routes have nothing on them end to end. I tried to never stop mid route because I thought it was disrespectful to riders. I did it occasionally but always asked riders if they would mind before doing it.

What else is significant about this story? Another illustration of the collusion between the corporate media and the TRIMET corporatists. Not one story on the bogus budget (exception Portland A Foot) But massive unquestioning coverage of the state using police dogs on transit users)

I really do like Bruce on a personal level and don't have the foggiest idea what he is dealing with but I have now come to the same conclusion that TOM HORTON did when he ran for president of ATU 757.And Tom suffered greatly for that decision, the members of ATU 757 can be brutal to dissenting members.

10/18/2012 Bruce Hansen Amalgamated Transit Union Awaiting payment
Bus Lunch New V8 Report - we request the reports for the month of July, August and September 2012 for each of the three Lift regions. This report shows details about each specific route (start time, leave yard time, break time and return to yard time).

Has pretty awful shift work and lousy working conditions then send in your application. Hopefully you don't listen to Trimet Scanner or watch the Tweets from Trimet scanner because if you do you will know EXACTLY what you are getting yourself into. They used to have EXCELLENT benefits, the benefits are so so now.(Health care comparable to BurgerVille) No more defined pension plan either, so you're shit out luck on that but you can get a plan that you have to pay into. (like most other decent employers)

People dealing with Lane have to realize this man has a pretty high IQ, he is NOT as he appears.Mr Radford is not intimidated. That's good. I thought he acted professionally. Unfortunately Lane has rights and he is NOT BOTHERING ANYBODY. So stop chasing him around. TriMet Breaking – Meet Gary Radford | Portland Transit Lane

Q: I've noticed several spanking new TriMet bus shelters, including
one a few stops away from mine on Southwest 72nd in Tigard. As winter
approaches, I'd love to have shelter and bench at my Line 38 stop. How
would I go about getting one?

Those of us that follow politics and happenings at Portland's transit monopoly (known as Trimet) understand what has just occurred here. The biggest scam ever in the history of Trimet was pulled off by the master of manipulation (Mcfarlane) and his merry board of sock puppets.

christ can i just have 1 smooth day so i go to leave btc..bus only will go 5 mph tops out on canyon rd..so punch in mech..well then it would start going..then everytime istopped it wouldnt go full and standing load..told them..gonnna reset bus gonna get dark..so i reset it and it started going..then down the road the back doors wont close so gotta reset again...now its working but no early late clock or automated man annnoucing...this is just shit signs wont change..paper towel holder is broke put 2gether witht duct tape..ttape gave way and paper towels went everywhere

He keeps saying the same thing over and over. "we don't have enough staff internally" which has to be bullshit if you have ever looked at the staffing of the CAPITAL PROJECTS DEPARTMENT!
And this contract is going to the same people that run the streetcar! In other-words, the cronies!

TriMet and incoming Metro Councilor Bob Stacey (Stacy and Witbek?) will lead a tour on Sunday afternoon exploring the Portland-to-Milwaukie light rail line and the Oregon Rail Heritage’s new enginehouse.

The Riding the Rails Walk begins at 2:30 p.m. at Southeast 17th Avenue and Holgate Bouelavard. The walk ends at 5: 30 p.m.

“Bring your inner child,” says the Walktober site, “some good walking shoes, and a water bottle. Childhood train toys are optional but encouraged.”

They speak with true heart and accurately reflect the true face and plight of transit dependent riders.
They reflect the opposite of power and wealth. They stand in the face of both. The wealthy power brokers sit and look bored.Their hearts have been hardened by their own "success" which comes from stealing from those with less so they can make more.

“Two times in the past, they had a vote on putting in the light rail. And each time they changed the route and stuff,” said Moore. “They didn't let the people vote on it. They just planned this thing.”

In general, people seem upset at the general lack of interest shown by authorities in the concern of the public. Trees are getting bulldozed where they might be protected, and the authorities don't seem as interested as they ought to be.

“I think people do feel frustrated. We are voicing, we're trying to work within the legal framework that's been established, and when those laws and channels get thwarted and gone past, they start to get frustrated,” said Holly Losli, a mother and long-time resident of Clackamas County. “They subscribe to this system, and the very people that are supposed to be representing it aren't following it.”

Vanhagen was able to escape the hands of his oppressors and within a few
minutes he had stabbed the bus driver, Leonard James once in the
stomach, and a fellow passenger Richard Dickson Jr. five times in the
chest, back and leg. Andrew Crombie was bitten on the shoulder during
the fight and Thompson received five stab wounds to the back and one to
the arm; one of which punctured his lung.

This blog is a HOBBY, of material that is not just mine but many others have contributed to it throughout the years. The people reading my blog material were never Trimet employees or ATU union members.

I voted green/progressive party on every race possible or didn't vote. I personally can no longer support the phony two party system which gives us the false sense of choice. Both parties are controlled by the same people although they pander to different classes of citizens. On the initiatives I basically voted using blogger Jack Bogdanski's recommendations since he seems to most educated on local issues and he is not controlled by any corporate entity. The one exception was Marajuana, which I voted yes and he recommended no. I did write in his candidate for mayor.

It
should come as no surprise that in the countdown to the election there
are plenty of events and opportunities to volunteer upcoming. Next
Tuesday, October 23d, we are encouraging you to bring your friends and
family down to the Oregon AFL CIO (3645 SE 32nd) starting at
5:30 pm for a phone bank encouraging people to elect Transit and Labor
Friendly candidates. The AFL CIO will be providing dinner and shirts.
If that particular evening does not work for you, please contact Mike
Pucik at 503-730-6585 for other dates and locations.

But think of all the cronies who got to stuff their wallets full of $$$$$$$$$$!

Public transportation doesn't seem to be driving low-car life on the middle east side and North Portland – bikes are.
Transit use is up across the region. But between 12th Avenue and I-205,
it's been stalled at 6 percent for 17 years. Since TriMet has spent
several hundred million dollars to build the Yellow, Red and Green MAX
lines and a network of frequent service bus lines, this is pretty
surprising.

The service they are providing is unreliable and embarrassing. But rather than trying to improve the services already existing the imbeciles pulling six figure tax funded salaries and in control of our government continue thinking about expansion.

While Mcfarlane has stripped away our medical care and imposed unreasonable demands most operators are happily performing their jobs. But up in Vancouver, they actually stopped working overtime and that has had an effect on the system. Can't even get Trimet operators to stop working RDO's. They don't care. Union? What union?

Complaints from Greater Victoria bus riders were up Monday, largely
because of cancelled trips during the first day of an overtime ban
imposed by bus drivers.
Passengers felt the impact of the region’s transit strife as nearly 40 trips were cancelled on 10 routes.
General inquiry and complaint calls concerning the service average about 300 a day, but there were 500 on Monday.
The bus drivers have stopped working overtime shifts because of a
breakdown in contract negotiations between the union and B.C. Transit
last week.

As far as the inspectors are concerned all their conduct is based on the TRIMET CODE which defines what they can enforce in the way of exclusions etc. I just read through it and is says nothing about wearing uniforms for non employees. As far as I know as long as he doesn't attempt to impersonate a Trimet employee or possess a fake badge he is clear of any legal violations.

Despite threats from Greater Victoria bus drivers to stop working
overtime as of Monday, all routes should operate as usual — barring
additional problems, B.C. Transit said Sunday.
Stopping short of a full strike, the bus drivers’ union has said its
members will not work overtime shifts until a new contract is agreed to
with the transit corporation.

(e-mail sent to Bruce Hansen)
Dear Bruce-
In order to maintain complete independence of thought and speech I have found it necessary to withdraw from ATU757
Members can now stop calling me a 'traitor' since I am no longer affiliated with them.
------------------------------------------------------------------------- I'm not happy with the performance of our union which is too busy fighting with itself and representing too many properties to give proper attention to Trimet members. I am not happy that our 'union' unilaterally gave away our right to strike without consulting and having a vote of the members. And I am not happy that the union will not negotiate with the company which allows the company to continue to violate the rights of union members. Get in that office and get a deal we can vote on! If it's a bad deal we can vote it down. But to do nothing is worse! We the members have no say in our contract the way its set up now. What's the point of being a member in a union like that? It also appears to me that union members are happy with the way things are going so I really don't fit in any longer.